Full Circle
by anqel
Summary: "QUISTIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a man screamed. For Quistis everything went black and finally…peaceful.
1. Chapter 1

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Falling…

She stood gazing down into space. She let her golden hair down and closed her eyes. Her army boots tilted forward a little, just a little, over the edge of the balcony of Balamb Garden. One misstep and she'd fall into oblivion. She thought of all the people in her life. The ones she loved and the ones she hated. She thought of Squall…why was she destined to love someone she knew would never love her? Why!? She wouldn't let the tears come, she had cried so many times. Now he was gone. The love of her life will never ever love her. Now he found the love of _his_ life and it wasn't her. It wasn't Quistis! 

"Why…?" she asked the sky as she tilted her head back in a low whisper, not even realizing she was talking out loud. "WHY!!!!!!?????" she screamed into space. She screamed so loud and so long, her lungs felt like they were on fire. She was so…alone. Alone in this world. 

In the shadows behind her stood an arrogant figure. His arms folded across his chest came to his sides quickly as she screamed that pitiful word into the clear starry night. Should he reveal himself? He stepped up to her his heavy black combat boots thumped loudly as he walked up to her. He looked at her with no emotion on his face. Without a glance back she looked on in silence. For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, not a word was spoken, and for a split second, they understood each other. 

In his usual gruff voice, Seifer Alamsy spoke, "Oh Quistis, I know how you must feel. I know the pain the loneliness that haunts you. But I also know you are a brave warrior, not one to take the cowards way out."

Quistis merely looked on, unshaken, it seemed in her ghostly blank look on her face. Seifer stood there a little longer, close enough to touch her, but refrained from doing so. Slowly Quistis looked back at him before giving him a sad smile then stepped off the edge.

"QUISTIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a man screamed. For Quistis everything went black and finally…peaceful.


	2. Chapter 2

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Bitterness…

She woke up sweating in the dark. She could have sworn the dreams were becoming more and more real every night. But every night she woke up alone. What was Seifer doing there? Why was he watching her? Why didn't he stop her? She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Why dwell on some meaningless dream? Go back to sleep. As soon as she lay down the alarm went off. She groaned as she threw off the covers of the Garden dorm room bed. The sun's rays slowly gave the room a soft glow. She looked out the balcony as she sipped her black coffee. Watching the sunrise always gave her a sense of hope. Hope for the hopeless… she thought to herself. Quistis put on her usual outfit and pinned up her long golden hair like usual. 

Looking one last time in the mirror, she sighed at her hopelessness. Every morning since defeating Ultumicia, she asked herself, "Really Quistis, what's the point of this charade? He's no longer yours for the taking. He was never yours at all and Squall Leonhart never will be." And every morning she felt her heart break even more. 

"Ok class!" 19 year old Quistis Trepe began as she quieted the class down. "Let's begin today's lesson." She continued the class as usual, letting nothing seem different about her. But deep inside of her, all she could think of was the dream. This time it felt so real. She didn't even feel the pain of the fall. What was Seifer doing there? He was a known criminal, a traitor and a just an all around enemy. Then why did she feel this way about him, in the dream, of course? Where was he any way? He must be living it real hard out there all alone…what is she thinking? What does she care any way? Why was it so real? Sure she'd thought of suicide before, but she knew it was not the answer. It won't solve anything. It won't bring Squall to her. In fact what would be even more depressing is what if she had done it? What if Quistis did commit suicide… and nobody cared? Well she wouldn't let them have the satisfaction. Besides suicide is the coward's way out, and Quistis Trepe was no coward.

She watched as she saw her friends sit and eat lunch together. Irvine Kinneas dressed in his best cowboy suit sat with an arm draped over the shoulders of the petite Selphie Tilmit, whose hair was growing longer and no longer flipped up at the sides. She was finally growing up, but still held her happy, cheerful, and childlike qualities. She leaned on Irvine's shoulder in a content manner. The ever so hyper Zell had mellowed down a tad as he gazed into the eyes of his new found love of Sally the library girl as she shyly blushed and popped a fry into her mouth. Zell just held her other hand. And finally the most famously romantic couple of the year, Rinoa Heartilly and Squall Leonhart. Rinoa cut her hair short and played with Squall's long locks as she smiled at him happily. Squall was now Commander of Garden and the role was suiting for him. It seemed that every other person was in a relationship except for Quistis. Well Quistis wouldn't stoop as low as to as to go out with the stupid Trepies. They were like a cult! She shuddered at the thought.


	3. Chapter 3

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Mission…

"Hey Quisty!" Selphie exclaimed as Quistis sat down next to her friends. "Come and sit over here!"

__

Will Instructor Trepe please report to the bridge…immediately. The intercom static blared. Quistis sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hey Squall, know what this is about?"

Squall paused to think, "Not that I can think of. Go find out." Then he turned back to Rinoa. Quistis rolled her eyes at the sight of those two so into each other. It made her sick, so she headed for the bridge.

The boots of Quistis echoed in the empty halls of the elaborately made Garden as she headed for the bridge. She saw Cid as she stepped out from the elevator. He had a stern, stressed out look on his face.

"Sir?" Quistis asked, worriedly. "What's the matter? What's wrong?" she came up to him as Cid gave a heavy, tired sigh. 

"Oh Quistis, my dear…things seem to get more complicated everyday when you're my age.." Cid walked slowly to his desk and sat down, with seemingly great difficulty. Quistis sat on the leather seat in front of him with a concerned look on her face. 

"You're being sent on a mission." Cid began.

"A mission, sir? I've been on missions before, hell, you know I helped save the world." Quistis sat confused as to why the older man was so tense. 

"It's not that, young one. You're on a mission to…find Seifer Alamsy, to bring him back to Garden and have a proper trial. He will most likely be executed." The olden man explained with great pain.

"Alamsy, eh? About time we he gets what he deserves." Quistis said indifferently. "May I ask sir, why would you get so stressed out about him?"

"Sweet, innocent Quistis, you have much to learn. You see, Seifer is my…my son."

Quistis stared blankly in a daze of astonishment. "…Excuse me?"

"Yes you heard correctly. He is my baby boy."

"Does he know about this? Who's the mother? Matron?"

At this he sighed. "All in good time… and no he doesn't know and the mother is…not Edea, not your Matron."

She blinked her eyes in shock. Woah! It was a lot of information for her to take in all at once. "Then who is?"

"It doesn't matter now…she's dead."

"Oh god…" she looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to say anything, Quistis, my dear. You do what you must."

"If, I may ask, sir, why would you choose me to take this kind of assignment?" she asked in an unusually timid voice. 

"Because, only you, dear Quistis, have the strength as well as the maturity for this. I trust you," replied the headmaster, in a sad voice. 

She sat there a few moments longer taking in the information.

"Tomorrow at 600 hours, you will go to Timber, where he is in hiding, arrest him and escort him back to Balamb Garden."

Quistis sucked in a deep healing breath and arose to salute her superior. "Yes, sir!"

As she turned to leave, the headmaster called her once more. "Oh and Quistis! Good luck."

"Should I tell him the truth?"

"No, I should."

"Good luck to you too, sir." With that she stepped into the awaiting elevator.


	4. Chapter 4

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Timber…

On the train to timber, all Quistis could think about was the conversation with the headmaster the other day. Seifer, the son of Headmaster Cid? And his mother was not Edea? Could it be that he had cheated on her? Or loved someone before her? Quistis was definitely developing a headache. She closed her eyes and fell into a dream.

__

It was like all the ones before but there was more to this dream. After she stepped off the edge she heard Seifer scream her name as she plummeted into oblivion. He reached down and caught her hand. Quistis saw her unconscious self being hoisted up by the arms of Seifer as he shed his trench coat, placed it on the ground and laid her down on it. He looked down at her with a worried face as he held her in his arms.

The loud scream of the train whistle woke her with a jolt. Her eyes flew open and she gasped as Quistis tried to remember where she was. She sighed and closed her eyes to erase the weirdness of the dream. Looking around, she remembered the mission and gathered herself as she walked off the train. 

The town, even as small as this one, was a hustle and bustle of a downtown afternoon complete with the a huge crowd of people. Now why would Seifer want to hide in such a small town? Everybody knows each other…well maybe that's why he's here. He knows some people to help him hide. She had to first track him down. What should she do? Should she ask around? Well might as well eat, since she hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday, and not even very much after all she heard that day.

She entered a quaint little restaurant and sat down. In a nice outside place, she sat thinking. Why wouldn't Cid tell his own son he is his father? Does Matron even know about this? Oh god, life is getting more and more complicated even at her age. She gazed around at the people around her, jealous of their happy, carefree life. She looked at their cheerful faces and found one with a not so happy face as he walked through the crowd. He had a very familiar scar across his forehead…Seifer!

She gasped as she thought it would take days to track this rogue down, but there he was! She quickly jumped out of her seat to catch up to him. He looked different. His hair was longer, like Squall, his usual outfit was absent. Instead he wore a black sweater with the hood up, but his hair still clung to his piercing blue eyes. He also had some baggy blue jeans, with a chain. 

She came up to him and twisted him around to face her. Seifer gasped as he looked down at her. She stared up at him, a little startled at his empty cerulean eyes. He pulled down his hood to reveal his blonde long hair. 

Finally she spoke: "…Seifer?"

"…It's Luke now-a-days," Seifer's deep baritone explained. "I suppose, you're here to arrest me, huh? Well, before I go, can you just listen to my side of the story?"

"…Yeah…Why not?" Quistis was puzzled by his lack of his usually arrogant behavior.

"Very well, come with me."

Quistis stayed where she was, sensing danger from him even though he seemed to have become…nicer. It just wasn't right. 

"Oh, instructor, please. If I was gonna kill you I would have done it already."

"Seifer, please-"

"Luke"

"Luke, whatever, I seriously doubt you would have killed me in a crowd like this."

"Huh, the woman's smarter than she looks."

"What the-?"

"Trepe, I don't have time for this." He began to walk ahead, his familiar combat boots crunching on the street's gravel.

"Seifer! Don't make me kill you now! The orders were to bring you back to garden and they never said you had to be alive!" Quistis shot at him.

"Wanna run that by me again?" Seifer's eyes grew cold and menacing as he turned around to face her. She stood her ground, keeping emotionless. He circled her like a hawk going in for the kill. "Is that so? He came close to her ear. She could feel his hot breath upon her neck, but she remained rigid. "I could kill you in five different ways right now and no one would hear you scream." He whispered in her ear.

She drew back and realized they were in an empty alley. How had they gotten there? "So, Quisty, be a good girl and follow me."

Again she remained. Seifer had had it. In less than a microsecond, he had unsheathed his gunblade as if from air and drew it to her neck. "No one ever said that _you _had to return to garden alive either." 

She glared at him, seeing as to how his skills have improved since the last time she saw him… but so had hers. She kicked flipped backward causing his weapon to soar into the air and clang upon the dingy cement of the alley. She readied her weapon, the chain whip. Seifer smiled cruelly at her as he pulled off some swift karate moves that left her in a daze. Suddenly Seifer fainted her by pushing a certain pressure point and she instantaneously fell into his arms, dropping her weapon to the ground. 


	5. Chapter 5

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Apartment…

The room was dark and gloomy. There was only one tiny window with bars, revealing the darkening sky. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she gasped to see _him_ staring down at her.

"Good morning, sunshine," Seifer's sarcastic voice interrupted the still silence of the dark and quiet room, as he raised his hand to light a hanging single bare light bulb.

"Seifer? Where am I? What happened?" Quistis became panicky and confused as she sat up and realized she was in a small dingy bed. 

"Where do you think?" Seifer stood up from his old and rusty folding chair. That was when she realized that she was in what (somewhat resembled) an apartment, Seifer's apartment.

"How the hell did I get here!?" Quistis demanded as she bolted off the bed. "…You fainted me, didn't you? Oh that was low, Seifer, even for you…" she said in a low voice as she stepped up to him. Seifer turned to face her. 

"Look, I had to do something to make you listen to me." 

"Yeah, well you can tell it to the judge." She turned away from him and began to pace the apartment.

"The judge will execute me anyway." Seifer's voice lowered in a tone of…sadness. With those words, Quistis stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes widened as she remembered Cid's words. Cid…poor guy…

"Seifer…" Quistis did not know how to be sympathetic to a public enemy, even if she had known him all her life. 

"Quistis don't. Everybody dies, I'm just gonna die a little sooner." His words were very matter of fact, as if it were no big deal at all. He made his way to the excruciatingly tiny kitchen. "Want somethin' to eat?"

Quistis could only stare at his frank attitude. 

"I take that as a no." Seifer sighed as he continued. "You know it was gonna happen sooner or later. I've accepted it. It's no big deal anymore. All I ask is that you hear me out."

"Seifer…what's wrong with you? You're not the Seifer I knew. The real Seifer would never give up like this…" Quistis shook her head in disbelief. Although she was there to arrest him and bring him back to Garden, she had nothing but pity for this man that seemed this broken…or was he that broken at all…? Yes Seifer was a good liar, but Quistis was no fool and saw right through his deceit. That's when Quistis realized she was in danger.

"I reiterate, you're not as dumb as you look, Trepe," Seifer scowled in his malicious voice.

Quistis reached for her weapon to find it gone from her side. She looked up to see Rajin holding her Chain Whip, "Looking for this?" behind him came the silver haired one eyed woman Fujin with a cruel smile upon her thin lips.

"Seifer…" she uttered, trying not to panic as she backed up, running straight into Seifer as he gave a sinister chuckle, "Oh instructor, you are so stupid…" he grinned at her evilly.

"What are you planning to do?" Quistis tried hard to remain calm, after all she had been through worse.

Seifer stepped up to her and covered her face with a rag smothered with some kind of chemical to render her unconscious. She struggled and twisted her head, trying to get away, but his grasp was too strong. Slowly, her world began to darken and she felt dizzy and oh so drowsy. With the very last of her strength, Quistis finally was able to turn and kick Seifer where the sun don't shine. Seifer screamed in agony as he collapsed to the floor.

"You bitch!!!!" Seifer shouted as she stumbled toward the door. "What are you two doing just standing there!? Go get her!!!" he exclaimed, angry and in rage. 

"Relax, Seifer, she's not going anywhere, ya know." Rajin walked to the front door. "Where do you think you're going?" 

Quistis breathed heavily in her drugged state, her eyes almost rolling back as she tried to crawl toward the door. She struggled with all her might to keep her head up, but the drug was taking effect and she could no longer will her legs to move. She was terrified, but she would not give up. She finally collapsed as her eyes rolled back into her head and she drifted into unconsciousness. 

__

What were they planning to do with her?


	6. Chapter 6

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Plans…

__

She slowly opened her sapphire eyes, her whole world absolutely still, silent. All she could see were the cerulean eyes of Seifer looking down at her with warmth and compassion as she laid in his strong, warm embrace. Then his lips moved as if he were talking, but she could not hear the words, no matter how much she strained her ears…

The haze of sleep sluggishly diminished as her eyes began to focus in the dim lit room. Although she was finally awake, a powerful drowsiness overwhelmed her. Then Quistis realized she was sitting in a chair, with a bare light bulb hanging above her head. She willed her arms and legs to move but they were immobile. They were tied with ropes and finally, she realized and she was not alone in this strange room. 

* * *

Squall entered his office and began to file through papers, when he came across something that caught his eye: Mission Files, the files that recorded what SeeDs went on what missions. 

"Hmm…." Squall's curiosity took over. Quistis had been gone for two days, but where? She never told them.

'This little baby could tell me exactly. Might as well…After all I am Commander', Squall thought. As he skimmed through them he saw many that he remembered as he himself had assigned the SeeDs to the missions, which brought up the question of why Cid hadn't informed him of Quistis's mission? Strange….

He had gone through the file three times, and still he couldn't find her mission file, which was even stranger because **all** missions were supposed to be recorded. Immediately, Squall became worried about Quistis's well being and headed for the Headmaster's office. 

Squall in his worry, barged into the office, in a very un Squall like manner. "Sir! There is something very weird about Quistis Trepe's mission…Sir…?" Cid was not in his office and after an hour of searching, the Headmaster was nowhere to be found and neither was one of the Garden's cars…

* * *

There were garbled, inaudible voices that filled the room with a dark undertone, but there were voices just the same. Where were these voices coming from? Quistis couldn't tell. All her senses seemed dulled somehow…must have been the drug. Slowly, very slowly, the sedative was wearing off and she began to comprehend the sound echoing in the dark room.

"So what exactly are we planning to do with her?"

"I already told you. She's a hostage."

"For what?"

"Listen, idiot, I am going over this one last time. She's a hostage and we're getting ransom money from the Headmaster of Balamb Garden. After we collect the money we're home free."

"…Huh? Hey, Seifer, she's waking up dude!"

"Shit! Do you think she heard?"

"I don't know…"

"If she did we'll have to kill her."

"The hell? If we do that, then how can we get the ransom?"

"We kill her after we get the ransom."

In the gloom she managed to focus her eyes on two familiar faces. Finally! Her eyes were beginning to focus again. She heard the heavy boots resound as they came closer.

"Hello, there," Seifer's deep baritone said in a low voice near her ear. 

"Seifer! What the fu-" Quistis was cut off. She gasped and winced in pain as he stabbed her with a needle. It was heroin, which would sedate her for the time being. 

"Got the camera ready, Rajin?"

"Yes sir!" Rajin held up the camcorder and turned it on. 

"Wait where's Fujin?"

"Still on look out."

"Fine, proceed."

* * *

"Maybe he just decided to go for a drive?" Suggested the ever so optimistic Selphie as Squall and the gang sat around the lunch table. Squall had just finished telling them about the situation with the Headmaster and Quistis. 

"Selphie that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say," Zell commented. "Besides how do you explain Quistis's mission?"

"I actually disagree with you there, Zell," Irvine said. "I've heard Selphie say stupider." Selphie stood up, grabbed the cowboy's hat and threw it across the cafeteria, rather than hitting him because this would cause him more pain as it landed in someone's chocolate pudding. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Irvine dropped to his knees and almost bawled. Selphie giggled and the rest of the crew joined in, except Squall, who remained serious in the matter.

"You guys! This is serious," Squall stated sternly. They calmed down a little and finally paid attention. "The headmaster and our friend Quistis are missing. I don't know if they are together, God forbid, or separate in who knows where. Look we have got to do something."

"Ok, Squall, what do you suggest we do?" Rinoa asked, finally seeing the seriousness of the situation. Squall paused to think. What could they do?

"Ok, maybe there's some kind of information in Cid's office. I don't know, like files or something."

Inside Cid's office, they frantically searched, but tried to put everything back exactly the way it was, in case Cid came back. Finally in a drawer, Selphie found something interesting.

"Hey Squall! Over here!" Selphie exclaimed excitedly.

"What is it?" Squall questioned curiously as he walked over to her and followed the rest of the gang.

Selphie carefully removed a notebook from under a huge stack of papers. "Do you know what could it be?"

"Is it a diary?" Rinoa asked.

"I'm not sure. I didn't even know he kept a diary," said Squall.

"Well don't just stand there! Open it!" exclaimed Irvine.

"Yeah! " Zell shouted.

"Shhhh!" Rinoa whispered, "We're still in Cid's office and this is punishable, you know?"

"Don't worry about it guys. We were never here." Squall took the diary that Selphie was taking way too long to open.

__

"This morning, I received another letter from the private detective. It gave me some grave news about my son. It said that he was safe and was living in a roach infested apartment in Timber, but was still alive which was more than I expected. I was so relieved. Now how am I to tell him that I am his biological father? Would he even believe me? Well I had to have someone to go and collect my son soon. But who is stupid enough to escort Seifer back to Balamb Garden? I couldn't. It would be to conspicuous, and neither could Leonhart, what with their past rivalries and all, plus he is now the commander. Couldn't choose Kinneas, Tilmit, or Dincht, they are too stupid and loud. And definitely not Sorceress Rinoa! That would draw way too much to attention. So, due to default of SeeD choices, there was only Instructor Quistis Trepe to choose. Now there is a SeeD who was loyal, an excellent fighter, and wouldn't ask too many questions as well as reveal too many answers. I will send her on a 'mission' to Timber to escort Seifer back to Garden for a proper trial."


	7. Chapter 7

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Video…

"Woah!" Zell exclaimed, breaking the long and awkward silence after they finished reading the diary of Cid.

"I-I-I can't believe it!" exclaimed Selphie in total disbelief. "How could Seifer be Cid's son?"

"I wonder if Matron is his mother?" Squall tried to keep calm on the outside, but within he was disarray of emotion. He had always thought of Cid as a father figure, despite his real father, Laguna, who was never there. Now Cid was the real, actual, biological father of his most hated rival, Seifer. What kind of a world was this?

"Maybe we should talk to her," suggested Irvine. 

"I don't know, guys. Are you sure you want to involve her in this?" Selphie tried to remain protective of her only mother figure.

"Look, Selphie, if she is his mother then we could have a lot of questions solved. As well as find any kind of information on Quistis and Headmaster Cid." Squall began to turn and lead them to Edea, when he bumped straight into an older woman with long, black hair.

"Matron!" Squall exclaimed, not sure of what she heard.

"Squall. What on earth are you doing here? What's going on? Where's Cid?" the older woman's silvery voice asked in sweet innocence.

"Oh Matron!" Selphie ran up and hugged her.

"Oh my! Selphie, dear, what's gotten into you?"

"Seifer is Cid's son!" Selphie blurted out. 

"…Cid… has a son?" Edea backed away from them, beginning to become light headed. "And it's Seifer? Why wouldn't he tell me about him? Does Seifer even know? How do you guys even know this?"

Edea sat down in one of Cid's comfy, black leather sofas and closed her eyes after they had explained the whole story. 

"Oh Matron!" Selphie embraced her and saw tears in her eyes. The room was solemn and silent, when a soft rap came at the door. Squall exhaled and reluctantly went to get the door. 

"Oh! Commander!" A very surprised messenger girl exclaimed and then saluted. "I was expecting to see the headmaster, but I guess you could give this to him, right?" The cheerful girl was totally clueless about the disappearance of the Headmaster and Instructor Trepe as she handed him a package. Squall let her go impatiently. Back inside he scrutinized and observed the small package.

"Hey Squall, what's that?" Rinoa inquired curiously.

"I'm not sure, but this is strictly for the headmaster's eyes only," he replied as it had read on the label of it.

"Well we already broke the rule of privacy any way, might as well go through with it!" Irvine quickly snatched the package away. "The hell is this?"

"How should I know?" Squall snapped.

"There's only one way to find out!" Irvine exclaimed excitedly as he began to tear through the small, brown package. The only reason Squall didn't object was because of his own curiosity and maybe it might have something to do with the disappearances.

When it was finally open, there was videotape that had no cover. 

"A home video?" suggested Squall. 

"I'm not sure. Let's pop this baby in." Irvine took the tape and stuck in the nearby VCR. They all waited earnestly as it began to play.

There appeared to be a dark room with a bare light bulb hanging. There was a blonde woman tied to a chair with a gag. Her hair was tangled and loose strands covered her eyes. Apparently she had struggled. She appeared unconscious, but still alive. It was Quistis! Then a tall blonde man emerged from the darkness, wearing a black sweatshirt and dark blue, baggy blue jeans. They could hear the heavy footfalls of the man's heavy boots as he approached her. His hair was disheveled and was long enough to have many strands covering his eyes. There was a familiar scar across his forehead…Seifer! 

"Shit! That's Seifer!" exclaimed Zell as his face reddened with anger. 

"And he has Quistis!" Irvine gasped as the tape continued.

Seifer smiled cruelly at the camera as he brushed his now longer hair form his eyes. He came up and kneeled by Quistis's chair and then he became serious. He harshly pulled Quistis's head up by pulling back her now let down hair revealing her frightened face. She appeared in and out of consciousness and her sapphire eyes opened and closed with much effort. Seifer looked from her to the camera.

"Hello Cid," Seifer's recorded voice said to the camera. "Let's make a deal, shall we?"

Quistis tried to protest as she attempted to shake her head and scream through the gag, "Mmmm-mmm!" 

"Shut up!" Seifer pulled her hair back even more. "Now Cid, this _is _one of your most _revered_ students at Balamb Garden, is she not? We wouldn't want anything _unfavorable_ to happen to her, now would we? Listen up, Cid. I'm only gonna say this once. You mail 5 million gill to the address of 1290 Winnerow, Timber in less than 48 hours or you give us no choice but to terminate our little miss instructor here. No cops, no SeeDs or pay the consequences. Once the gill is paid we'll drop her off somewhere in Deling. Deal?"

Seifer caressed Quistis under the chin and Quistis shut her eyes and shivered with fear. Seifer then turned to the camera. "Oh and the longer you wait, the more fun we can have."

Then the video turned into nothing but static.


	8. Chapter 8

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Heartless…

A tall blonde man paced the abandoned warehouse as he lit a cigarette and looked out the broken, filthy window. He ran his fingers through his hair apprehensively. It had been an hour since they sent the videotape to Balamb Garden, his home once, a lifetime ago. In the opposite corner was a sprawled out, unconscious young woman. Seifer looked at her with pity. Why would they send just her, by herself? This poor defenseless girl…They should have at least sent the army! But this, this is just sad…

Seifer took a puff of his cigarette and looked out the window to see Fujin and Rajin from a bird's eye view, as they conversed among themselves, walking to the thrift store for rations. Keeping her drugged, Quistis had been unconscious for about two days straight. Well that can't be too healthy. Seifer glanced at his watch briefly. 

11:53 PM. 

"God! This is taking way too long!" he growled angrily. 

"Why…?" a voice whispered softly.

Seifer gasped and looked around the room to see Quistis stirring in her sleep.

"What the hell…?" Seifer cautiously walked to her sleeping form in curiosity. 

She moaned. She tossed and turned as he approached her. She was sweating and her face looked stressed. Seifer kneeled down beside her, not know what he should do. He looked down on her scrutinizingly. 

"WHY!!!!!!?????" she screamed, disturbing the settled dust and stillness of the 20th floor, warehouse room.

"Ahhhh, shit!" Siefer gasped and drew back. 

"SEIFER!" she shouted and sat up sweating in the dark. She gasped loudly as her eyes flew open, scared and disoriented. Her eyes widened in fear as they connected with Seifer's in the dark. 

* * *

"Squall! We gotta do something!" Rinoa exclaimed worriedly as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh God, poor Quisty," Zell said.

"I know. But we _will_ do something!" Squall asserted. "We'll go to the place where they told us to mail the gill."

"What about the money?" Irvine inquired. 

"What about Cid?" Matron asked anxiously.

"One step at a time!" Squall was overwhelmed with so much to do and lives were depending on him. "We have to get Quistis first because we know she's in danger."

"Gotcha, Squall," Zell affirmed as everyone else nodded in affirmation. 

"Next we'll find Cid, and God forbid those bastards get a dime!" Squall lead them out of the office as they all headed for the parking lot. "Wait, Matron, stay here. I don't want anything else to happen to you."

Matron nodded and stroked his hair in a motherly way, "You be careful, young Squall. Bring her back, you hear?"

Squall nodded, knowing he may or may not see her again.

* * *

"Oh God!" Quistis began to inch away from him, looking around, trying to orient herself until she felt the hard surface of the wall against her back. That's when she realized how cold it was. She began to shiver and she could see her breath. It was about 20 degrees and the old, cobweb-ridden shelter of the abandoned warehouse was not much help.

"Bad dream?" Seifer stood up in his cocky way and puffed his cigarette, pretending not to have realized she had screamed his name in her sleep.

"Seifer? Where am I?" she demanded as she tried to stand, but in her drugged state, her legs failed beneath her as she began to stumble down. Swiftly Seifer caught her before she fell to the floor. She slowly turned her head to face him and backed up against the wall for support. She didn't know what was in Seifer's twisted, filthy mind, but she would not let him touch her, not ever.

She brushed her blonde tresses from her eyes and looked at Seifer suspiciously, terrified of the man who had kidnapped her.

Seifer began to approach her, but she kept backing up, keeping her distance.

"Quistis…What the hell do you think I'm gonna do to you?" Seifer asked annoyed.

"…" Quistis stopped moving. If he tried to do anything fresh with her she would make him pay! 

"D-D-don't touch me," she stuttered trying to not let her teeth chatter. She shivered not taking her eyes off him. Then Seifer began to shift as if he was taking something from his coat pocket. Quistis thinking it might be something to kill her with, shut her eyes and waited for the pain. Instead, she felt a warm sensation over her shoulders. She slowly opened her eyes to realize Seifer had shed his overcoat and put it on her. She looked to see him at the window staring down and puffing on his cigarette, slowly exhaling. 

She eyed him curiously. Afraid of him and yet not scared. He seemed so cruel while making that horrible ransom video, and now he seemed considerate, kinder. Either way she'd find some way to escape, even though she couldn't really move her legs, even though it was below 20 degrees and it was starting to snow, even though the overpowering drowsiness overwhelmed her. Somehow…

"Why'd you do that?"

He looked down at her and chuckled. "I'm not as heartless as you think, Quisty." 


	9. Chapter 9

****

Truth…

"What did you call me?" Did Quistis just hear her pet name pass Seifer's lips? 

"Why does it matter? You'll go to your precious Garden in two days any way, so you'll never have to see me ever again." Seifer growled and ran his fingers through his long hair, but his bangs just fell back down to block his vision. Frustrated, Seifer angrily hurled his cigarette to the dark streets outside, and sat himself against the opposite wall.

Quistis looked at him curiously. She quickly drew her eyes away from him as he turned to look her in the eye. 

"Tell me, Instructor, why would the elite military force of SeeD assign _you_ for this kind of…mission?" Seifer drawled.

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Quistis felt the anger rising. "What? Do you think I'm not good enough?"

"Just a simple question, my dear Instructor…" Seifer waited for the answer, but there came none. So in a kinder tone, which he did not mean to sound, he asked, "Why would they only send you alone for this?"

Quistis lifted her eyes to his face him. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even know why Cid would only send her alone. Well, if Seifer really was Cid's son, then Cid must not have wanted his son to be killed by the SeeD army, she mused. But I'm not supposed to tell him the truth. What should I do? 

"Quistis?" Seifer looked at her still, frozen silhouette. 

"…I…" She began in an almost inaudible voice. 

Seifer looked on, intrigued. He watched her take a deep breath and release it in a white mist of the freezing room. She didn't turn to him. 

"Seifer?"

"I'm listening."

"Do you know who your parents are?"

"No, I never knew my parents… You mean ' were,' don't you?" 

"…No."

Seifer swallowed, nervously. Where was she going with this?

"I know who your father is."

"What the? What are you talking about!? My father is dead!"

"Your father is the headmaster at Balamb Garden."

"Cid? Quistis, I think those drugs are messing up your brain."

"It's the truth!"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Why not?"

Seifer stared at her in frustration and confusion. "How do you know this anyway?"

"He told me, that's why he sent me for you. He didn't want the SeeD army to kill you." Quistis said unemotionally as fast as she could.

Just then a strange, rhythmic knock came at the door of the room. Seifer quickly stood up and opened it. In came Fujin and Rajin. 

"Got the rations?" Seifer inquired scrutinizingly, lifting an eyebrow.

"We sure did," Rajin brushed the snow from his hair and lifted up a shopping bag, full of food. Seifer snatched it from his hands and quickly rummaged through it. He snapped his head up and looked Rajin in the eye.

"Rajin! You dumbass!" Seifer snarled. "You forgot the bread. We have everything, including the meat the cheese and the condiments, but like the retard that you are, you forget the most important ingredient!" then turning to Fujin, "And you, you should know better!" Seifer rolled his eyes, regaining himself. "Oh guys, I'm not mad at you, just go back and get the bread." With that the two sighed and went back out into the blistering cold, and the developing storm.

At all this, Quistis watched silently. Have they been living like this for the past two years? She couldn't imagine herself without the comfort and warmness of Garden. 

* * *

In the dark, semi-frozen streets, below, Fujin and Rajin began their 15-minute journey all the way to thrift store. Rajin was deep in thought. "You know Fujin, I coulda sworn I bought the bread. You saw me didn't you?"

Fujin nodded. She then paused and took the bag from Rajin as she began to rifle through it once more. She paused and blinked in disbelief.

"What? What is it, Fu?" Rajin looked into the shopping bag and saw to his shock…the bread…?

* * *

Squall and the team frantically began their search for Quistis. On their way to the Balamb train station they came across a seemingly empty car.

From the back seat, Selphie piped, "Hey Squall! Pull over! There're some people that might need help in that car, like car trouble or something!"

"Settle down, Selph, we don't got time for this." Irvine stated.

"No wait!" Squall exclaimed. "That looks like a Garden car…the one that was missing!" 

"CID!" they all burst out in unison.

* * *

They stared at each other. None of them knowing what to say. Except for the howling winds outside, there was complete silence between them.

Seifer swallowed opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, but remained silent for a few moments longer before he asked. "…So is he really my…father?"

Quistis looked at him in pity. Seifer looked so vulnerable at that moment. "…That's what he told me. He seemed pretty sincere about it so…" she trailed off.

Seifer looked down, deep in thought. "So if he really is my father then why didn't he tell me? Why didn't I know?"

"I'm sorry Siefer. That's all he told me." 

Seifer came and sat by her in the corner of the tiny rat-infested warehouse. He looked at her intensely as if trying to read all the answers in her face. 

"What were you dreaming about?" 

"What?" Quistis pretended not to know what he was talking about.

"You know, earlier… you called my name," Seifer wanted to drop the subject of his father quickly, but then realized he had gotten himself into a much touchier subject. 

"Did I?" Quistis didn't want to talk about it, so she continued to stall as long as she could.

"You did."

"Well, I, I…I must have just had a nightmare about you, probably," she lied. Good one Quistis, she thought herself. After all he did kidnap her. Actually she had dreamed about him:

__

Continuing from where the last dream stopped, she lay in Seifer's strong arms as he gazed down at her. Finally she could hear the so longed for words she had strained to hear in previous dream, pass his lips, Quistis, I love you!" She felt her mouth turn into a smile as she wrapped her arms around him. Painfully slowly, he began to bend his head toward hers, inching closer by the second. His eyes darted fleetingly to her lips in intent to meet his with hers. Finally their lips met, just barely brushing. Suddenly there was footsteps drawing near. They parted to see…Cid? He held a gun and aimed it for… SEIFER!!!???


	10. Chapter 10

****

Suicide…

The Garden car seemed abandoned, when Squall and the gang stopped to check it out. 

"What the hell?" Zell exclaimed. "There's no one here!"

"Thank you Captain Obvious!" Irvine rolled his eyes at him.

"Where's Cid?" Squall asked them as he arrived at the scene.

The car's engine was still on and the car door was still open. They searched around to see if there was any kind of clue as to Cid's whereabouts. They didn't have to search long. Just about thirty yards from the car was Cid's body.

* * *

"Why are you doing this, Seifer?" Quistis whispered as she pulled Seifer's torn and tattered coat around her shoulders and pulled her knees up to her chest. Even at a low whisper she could still see her own icy breath in the gloom. Seifer continued to stare out the window as he lit another cigarette then stopped when he realized he already had one in his mouth. He seemed to ignore her question and the cold as he sighed. 

"Cigarette?" he offered as he held it out for her. 

"I don't smoke…" She replied, but it was still held out for her. "…Oh what the hell." 

She took it and inhaled. Seifer looked at her with a crooked smile. He knew she was lying about the dream. Over the years, Seifer had acquired the ability to read people. Then what could she have meant by calling his name?

"Why are you doing this, Seifer?" She persisted. "I mean, you, you've already caused enough trouble as it is, you're only making it worse for yourself." 

"'Worse for myself!?' How could it possibly be worse?" Seifer's voice escalated to almost a rage.

Quistis looked down. She didn't know. 

"I- I don't know…" she replied almost in an inaudible whisper.

"That's right," said Seifer, back to a normal tone. "You don't know. You don't know anything of what I've been through! So just shut up!"

"God, Seifer! Why would you do this to me, to Cid and to Garden…all over again?" Quistis cried. "I mean if I were you-"

"DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME," Seifer stated loudly. "You've got everything and I've got shit."

Quistis wanted nothing more at that moment to slap him across his face. That's when she realized what he had said…was completely true. She watched silently as he paced the rotting wooden floor, then found the window again to stare blankly, instead of concentrating, like usual. About twenty minutes of silence passed and Quistis did not once see him blink.

"Thanks to you, Quistis, I have realized that my life is no life at all. I can go on like this, running form the law. Well I am gonna die anyway..." Seifer took one last look at the world below him as he pulled out his handgun. Suddenly he paused. "Oh and Quistis? Could you do me one last favor?"

Quistis looked at him, not believing her own eyes. She was frozen still, standing there next to Seifer. She didn't know how to act. She shouldn't cry for Siefer, but she felt her eyes begin to water. She wanted to talk him out of it, but why? To live a life like this? A life in prison? No life at all when they execute him. Then she remembered her dream…

__

I know how you must feel. I know the pain the loneliness that haunts you. But I also know you are a brave warrior, not one to take the coward's way out.

Those were Seifer's words. Would she dare say them aloud? The secret dream…

"Quistis…Come closer," Seifer whispered hoarsely. Seifer brushed some stray, golden strands from her eyes. She didn't know why she let him. In an unemotional voice he began, "Don't cry for me. I am corrupted, a tainted person, there's no other way to put it. This is probably the best thing I'll ever do for this world." 

Suddenly, she felt the dream flashback all around her…

__

Painfully slowly, he began to bend his head toward hers, inching closer by the second. His eyes darted fleetingly to her lips in intent to meet his with hers. Finally their lips met, just barely brushing. 

But it wasn't a dream. She felt Seifer's hands gently caress her face and smooth back her long disheveled hair. As he gazed into her azure eyes, he brought his lips to meet hers, softly brushing. Why was she letting him do this? Why did it seem as if her dreams were coming true? She didn't know…and at that moment she didn't care. Despite her mind's screams of knowing this was wrong, she couldn't help but love the feeling of Seifer holding her like this, the feeling of his hands caressing her back, the feeling of his sensual lips moving over hers, his welcome tongue invading her mouth… 

The warm feelings began to heat up as his passionate kiss deepened as if desperate. She felt her arms loop around his neck and his grow tighter around her waist. He put down the gun for later use as his forgotten coat slipped from her shoulders and onto the floor, but it didn't matter. She wasn't cold anymore in the warmth of his arms and the heat of his kisses. Seifer pressed her against the wall and began trailing soft kisses down her neck. A virgin, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, taking in all of the aroused feelings she'd never felt before. Seifer's exploring hands slipped from her stomach up to the gentle swell of her breasts. She let him. In the heat of their passion, Seifer laid her on the floor, where he continued to enchant her with this new feeling. She had never had someone who could make her feel this way. Never. He slipped his hands under her shirt, lifting it off, as did she. She saw the rippling muscles of Seifer. He began to kiss her down her neck, trying to touch all of her, to be close as possible to her, as he began to unhook her silky and lacy black bra.

"Beautiful..." Seifer murmured between kisses against her soft skin. Once again his lips captured hers in sweet rapture, his tongue indulging in the luscious recess of her mouth, as did hers. Her hands ran through his soft hair. 

"You're beautiful," Seifer whispered between kisses. "So beautiful…Quis-"

Seifer's eyes flew open and he stopped abruptly, realizing whom it was he was lavishing with sweet words and passionate kisses. She was no beautiful stranger up for casual sex. This was Quistis. God she was beautiful, he thought to himslef. He couldn't take advantage of her, this sweet person. She didn't deserve this. For him to have her once then take his own life in front of her, was wrong. 

He didn't realize she herself was kissing him back. Did she want this as much as he did? Still he didn't want her to be involved with the likes of him. For the first time in his life, Seifer Alamsy was thinking of someone else other than himself. Maybe he had changed, maybe she had changed him. Either way all he knew is that the feel of her in his arms was indescribable and that's all he ever wanted, was _someone_. And it was Quistis Trepe. No she wasn't the same schoolmistress spinster that he remembered who was in love with his hated rival. Maybe that's why he had caused her so much pain the past, so that she could finally notice him.

"No, Quistis, I can't do this." Seifer peeled her arms from his neck and pulled away. Then took his weapon and aimed it to his head. Calmly, he closed his eyes.

"Seifer… Don't do this." It's not that she didn't want him to continue kissing her. She hoped that afterwards she could persuade him to not kill himself. "I know how you must feel. I know the pain, the loneliness that haunts you."

Seifer looked back at her to see her clear blue eyes. There was something in them that wasn't there before. A softness… He didn't notice when the familiar words came from his mouth. "But I also know you are a brave warrior, not one to take the coward's way out."

Quistis wasn't expecting him to know it, not her secret dream. Of all people why him? "How did you know…?"

"The dream…" they both voiced in unison. 


	11. Chapter 11

****

Beautiful…

"Oh my God!" cried Selphie as her horrified expression softened into tears. She buried her face into Irvine's arms. He looked down in complete shock. Zell was so horrified, all he could do was merely stare and swallow nervously. Rinoa gasped and covered her hands over her face as Squall finally arrived to the scene. At first he didn't know what was going on. Then Rinoa ran up and embraced him.

"Oh Squall!" she cried as he put his arms around her still confused. Then it finally hit him. There, sprawled out in the grass was the body of Cid Kramer. Squall looked down and his eyes widened in horror. Quickly he looked away and gasped, nauseated. He could barely breathe. Then he swallowed, waited a few seconds and finally regained control. 

"What the hell happened here?" Squall said, almost inaudibly. 

Irvine replied in a low whisper, "He-He's dead…"

"HOW?!" Squall fell to his knees for a closer look. "no...NOO!"

He closed his eyes, trying to block out the horrible reality. 

Cid Kramer's body was completely still. His glazed over eyes lay open, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth After a much closer look, Squall still couldn't determine what was the cause of his death, the death of the only father he ever knew.

After finding a stray blanket in the back of the Garden car and covering Cid Kramer's body, Squall simply stared across the horizon of the descending sun. He swallowed.

"Squall…? Are you gonna be ok?" Rinoa said quietly, putting her hand on his shoulder. Squall didn't answer, nor turn to face her. Instead he blinked as his eyes narrowed…"Seifer," he breathed.

"What?" 

"SEIFER!" Squall screamed as he quickly stood up.

"Seifer?" Rinoa's eyes widened. Every one turned to him. "You think Seifer could have done this?"

"Seifer must pay for this!" Squall exclaimed, his crystal eyes wild.

"Wait, wait, wait! Squall! Why would Seifer kill the person he'd get his ransom from?" Rinoa questioned, but Squall didn't hear. He didn't seem to listen to reason or seem to want to. Now he had a reason for taking his revenge on all the tormenting that Seifer had put him through! Cid's death must have triggered some kind of nerve inside of Squall's brain.

"Squall!" Irvine yelled. "What the hell are you doin' man?"

Squall didn't respond but seized the sniper rifle from Irvine's hands. Quickly he climbed into the car and started the engine, flooring it and screeching off into the horizon. "Seifer must die… Him and his little 'posse'." 

"What was that!?" Zell exclaimed. 

"Uhhh…I think Squall has finally gone off the deep end." Irvine observed, stunned.

"Oh my God…" Rinoa was close to tears. "Squall…Do you think he's gonna go kill him?"

"Kill who?" Selphie piped.

"Seifer!" Rinoa began to pace. "Nooo! If he does go to find him, Seifer will surely kill Quistis!"

Everyone gasped. "Ok…Here's the plan," Rinoa began making it up as she went along, "One of us go back to Balamb Garden with Cid's body to find out for sure what happened to him. The rest of us go find Squall, before it's too late!"

* * *

"You mean you've had it too?" Seifer questioned her. He was astounded to hear that she had had the same dream as he. He lifted himself from her and they sat against the wall, leaving his forgotten weapon on the floor. An hour passed as they talked about the mysterious dream. 

"God, every time I had that dream, I wished I could have saved you, Quistis. But then as the dream progressed and I did save you…" Seifer trailed off, not knowing what to say. Quistis was still shocked at this amazing coincidence. That's when she really noticed Seifer Alamsy. His dirty blonde hair fell in his eyes. His beautiful azure eyes that she could get lost in forever. Siefer was not a bad guy, just mislead, misunderstood. 

"Seifer was this really a coincidence?"

Seifer looked at her intently before answering. "I don't know. It's gotta mean something though."

"It helped you not commit suicide." Seifer turned to her his eyes filled with alarm.

"Quistis." Seifer looked down. "Please don't talk about that anymore. Don't tell Fujin and Rajin either. "

"Seifer…right." Quistis looked down remembering the mixed feelings that Seifer had stirred within her. She wanted to lie in his arms forever and ever…Instead she merely sat next to him, but the warmth she could feel emitting from him was enough for her. Wait, where were Fujin and Rajin any way?

* * *

"Well…uhhh." Why do you think Seifer wanted us to leave?" Rajin asked in his confused way. Fujin shrugged, then rolled her gray eyes. 

"QUISTIS."

"Ohh…OHHH!" Rajin exclaimed and then rolled his own eyes. He sighed as they both continued to walk. As they made their way through the twisting, narrow, allies of Timber, they abruptly stopped sensing they were not alone. At the far side of the alley was a lone shadow. 

"Is that…" Rajin squinted through the dark and the snow. "It is! It's Squall!"

"Where the HELL is Seifer!?" Squall bellowed menacingly as he drew out the sniper rifle. "Why the hell am I even to wasting my time with you RETARDS!?" This wasn't like the Squall they knew at all. This guy didn't only show his feelings, but couldn't seem to control his obvious rage. "That's IT! I've had enough of you IDIOTS."

Screaming at the top of his lungs, tears of rage in his crystal eyes, he aimed his weapon and fired two shots into the white night. 

Squall stood there for who knows how long, revolted at his own actions. Reality had suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks as he became short of breath. He dropped the rifle to the ground, falling to his knees. He simply stared at the two bloodstained bodies across the alley. Innocent? He wasn't sure. Jesus, they were like puppies and Seifer was their master. It was their own fault. Squall tried with all his might to find a way to justify his actions. Try as he might, he couldn't . It was murder. In his eyes, he was a sinner. "Oh my God…What have I done?"

* * *

"Woah hey! Where the hell are those two any way?" Seifer said.

"I don't know…How long have they been gone?" 

"About an hour I suppose…Well in any case we can't stay here. We gotta go back to my apartment to rest. Jesus! It freezing in here!" Seifer wrapped his arms around himself as Quistis hugged the Seifer-scented coat over her shoulders. "Fujin and Rajin know that if we're not here by the time they come back, we'll be at my place."

Quistis nodded and wondered if Seifer would ever stir those wonderful feelings again. She felt…loved, wanted when he kissed her before. Either way she knew that he wouldn't do any thing to hurt her again.

Outside the blistering cold hit them like ice. 

"Follow me." Seifer said." It's not far from here."

They walked in awkward silence, except for the howling wind, there was no conversing between them. Every so often she'd turn to him to see him staring right back at her and she quickly looked away. Finally Seifer had admitted to himself that he did have some kind of feelings for this beautiful woman next him. She was beautiful, sexy even. The best thing was that she was beautiful on the inside too. Seifer gazed at her and smiled faintly, before he put his arms around her and embraced her. Quistis was in shock for a moment, but then she just let go of everything. She made herself forget about his past, and what he was doing to her, and just let herself be. Just be with him, in his strong arms. She closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest to hear his racing heart. If this was wrong, she didn't want to be right. 

Finally, after arriving at his place and having some nourishment, Quistis closed her tired eyes as she sat on the dusty couch. Drowsily she reopened them to watch Seifer move about the kitchen, putting things away.

"Seifer…"

Seifer turned to her and gently smiled. He silently walked up to the couch and kneeled before her. She felt his warm fingers lightly brush stray hair from her eyes as he leaned in and met his lips with hers once again.


	12. Chapter 12

****

Embrace…

Soft, warm rays of light seeped through the film of dirt on the window. She gently stirred under the thick, scratchy but welcomingly warm blankets, letting out a soft moan as her crystal cerulean eyes slowly, groggily opened. Surrounding the bed she was in was a shabby scratched up bureau and beyond it there was a small bathroom with the door ajar and a dingy tile floor. To her right was a tiny kitchen. For a brief moment she didn't know where she was and a wave of panic washed over her. She sat up quickly, trying to get her bearings straight. Her loose golden wavy hair flowed over her shoulders down her back like a veil of silk. She still wore the same light blue pinstriped blouse and navy blue above knee length skirt, her now filthy-looking outfit she had on since a few days ago. Her white knee high stockings were falling down now, with runs galore. Then she realized she had no shoes. A few strands of gold blocked her view. She brushed them back and subconsciously reached for her whip…which was nowhere to be found. Finally looking all the way around the small apartment, she saw a man sound asleep under a tattered gray trench coat. This she recognized. 

She let out a gentle sigh of relief as she slowly relaxed and gazed at the slumbering figure sprawled out on the couch. Quietly she placed her feet over the side of the bed and silently moved to toward the unconscious man. He stirred beneath the trench coat and she froze, awaiting his awakening, but he then settled back down now facing her, his eyes remained hidden behind his closed lids. 

She could see his back slowly rising and falling with each soft sleeping breath. His blonde locks glistened in the pale sunlight of the early morning. Quistis slowly came up to him and gently began to bend her head towards his in a good-morning kiss. 

Seifer felt soft feathery sensations across his face. The sleep lifting from him, he realized Quistis was just above him and it was her hair that tickled his nose so. 

Quistis suddenly felt Seifer holding her head and then he placed his lips upon hers in a deep, passionate kiss. Quistis's eyes flew open in surprise. Seifer opened his eyes and tugged Quistis beneath him, kissing her more tentatively now. 

"Quistis…" he smiled down at the beautiful woman beneath him. Quistis softly smiled and looped her arms around his neck and played with his hair.

"Seifer…" Then an odd question popped into her mind, odd, but important. "What happened last night?"

"Last night…" Seifer's eyes looked far away, as if the night's events happened years ago. "Last night was the best night of my life. And it's all because of you, my Quistis." He intertwined his long, callused fingers with hers, in a lovingly delicate way. "Last night you fell asleep in my arms, so I carried you to my bed and I took the couch."

Quistis let out a small laugh. "I thought so," she said as she began to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Seifer caught her lips instead and began to kiss her with more passion. 

"Wait…Seifer…" she whispered between kisses.

"Hmm?" he murmured in response, but continued to kiss her. She lay still and turned her head. Finally Seifer came to a halt as he let out sigh. "What?"

"Seifer…" She sat up. "…Let me go… let me go."

He knew what she meant. Seifer simply stared at her. His face remained emotionless, but his eyes betrayed him, as they were deeply troubled in a dark storm. "How could you ask me to do this?"

She only gazed at him knowingly.

"I- I can't. How can I? How can I ever survive without you?" He pleaded with her; something the old Seifer would never do, not until he found someone worth pleading to. 

"Well you survived this far," Quistis leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Now that I know you, the real you, I can't live without you." As he said this he leaned in, in intent to kiss her, but she moved. He slowly sat back, disappointed, but not deeply wounded. He knew she was still trying to make a point. 

"Let me go…" she repeated.

Seifer swallowed hard, but the lump in his throat wouldn't go down. How could he let her go? She was the only real person he knew and the only one he ever loved. He turned away. He couldn't bear to look at her when he spoke.

"Then I'll let go…because I love you."

For the first time in Quistis's entire life, some one had finally uttered the words she so longed for. 

***

Balamb Garden still functioned as if nothing unusual happened at all. The students still hustled about between classes, as normal. But for how long? Sooner or later the instructors would begin to notice something amiss in the leaders of the institution. Until then, Zell had to find out what the hell happened to Cid and with extreme precaution as to not promote any panic. 

The only person qualified in this type of 'work' in Garden would have to be Dr. Kadawaki. 

"Holy Shit, Zell!" The doctor gasped as she saw him, as discretely as he could, drag Cid's body into her office. "Oh…oh dear God! What happened to him!?"

"That's what I came here to find out, doc."

Zell quickly exclaimed what was going on, including the kidnapping of Quistis, the death of Cid, and Squall's rampage to Timber in search and destruction of Seifer and his 'posse,' and the shocking information of Seifer being Cid's son.

The doctor shook her head shocked and saddened. 

"So what do you think happened to him?" Zell inquired the doctor after about an hour of study of the body. 

"Well, Zell, I think, I believe it was a heart attack, or some kinda of cardiovascular collapse, I suppose. I can't be too accurate, you know I'm not frickin' professional on autopsies, ya know?"

Zell nodded. "So that's it? A heart attack?…CRHIST!"

"Squall…" Kadawaki said.

"That's right. God if it weren't for his 'emotional constipation' he wouldn't be out there, not only putting his life in danger but Quistis as well!"

"What are you saying, Zell? Squall thought Seifer did it?"

"Exactly! All those years of bottled up rage musta finally exploded or some shit like that. He wouldn't even listen to reason. I dunno. I hope he doesn't do anything drastic."

"Wait a minute! Now why would Seifer want to hurt the guy he's getting the ransom from?"

"Hell if I know, I'm no frickin' psychologist!" Zell exclaimed throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Well anyhow, we can't just leave him here in the infirmary." Kadawaki referred to the body of Cid.

"Oh yeah? What the hell should we do with him?"

"He's gotta get reported."

"Oh hell no. If his death becomes public it'll all fall on Squall's shoulders, and with Squall's recent 'state' it'll be total chaos around here and probably all Gardens, not to mention the publicity! Oh god… not the reporters!"

"Alright, alright! Simmer down, Zell." She sat down and looked down solemnly at Cid's body on the infirmary bed. 

"Can you tell how long he's been dead?" Zell asked looking at Cid with his cracked now useless glasses. 

"Well it's hard to tell, with me not being one of them autopsy people and all, but by the looks of it, not more than a day, and since you found him out in the sun and his body not decaying yet, probably not more than a couple hours.

"Christ…" Zell whispered as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to window. "What are ya gonna do with him?"

"…Hmm… Well, we could probably put him in the medicine freezer for now. But not for long. "

Zell nodded and looked out the window in concentration.

***

"Don't' look at me like that Quisty," Seifer forced a smile. He would be strong. 

Quistis was close to tears. She stood up. She couldn't be with him. He was a criminal running from the law. He was a fugitive. Their lives were too complicated to ever be with each other. She stood up, slowly. He looked up at her. His eyes were so sad. She reached down to caress his face. He closed his eyes trying to remember the way her warm, soft palm of her hand felt against his cheek as he put his own hand over hers. They realized this may have been the last they'd ever see each other again. He breathed in deep and kissed her hand, memorizing every curve of her face, every wisp of her hair. He stood up and looked down at her. Quistis embraced him as hard as she could, breathing him in. Seifer closed his eyes wrapping her in his arms, one hand caressing her hair, which smelled so sweet, he could hardly bear it. He felt her shudder. Was she crying? 

"I love you Quistis." He whispered into her ear as he longed to kiss her. She hugged him tighter and felt her eyes begin to water, the salty tears stinging her eyes. "Oh, shh…Baby, don't cry. Be strong. I know you're strong. " He rocked her and she looked up into his hurting wounded eyes, the only evidence of a deeply troubled little boy inside. She looped her arms around his neck and they kissed for so long, to this day, they don't know. The good-bye kiss of a lifetime. 


	13. Chapter 13

****

Goodbye…

Now she could at last be free of "Seifer's evil clutches." God knows in a second, she'd rather remain within his arms for all eternity. She stood by the door, looking sadly back at Seifer who leaned against the wall next to her. It was about 5:58 AM, but what did time matter when you're losing the only one you loved? He thought he heard the sound of his heart crumbling ringing throughout the small, drafty apartment. He should consider himself lucky to have someplace to sleep under. Lucky…? He scoffed at the thought. It was inconceivable how pathetically _unlucky_ he really was. He gazed at her achingly; longing to hold her forever and ever and never let go. 

"If I hug you again Seifer, I'll never be able to let go," she tried to talk without having to comprehend the reality that it was the last time they'd look upon each other's faces. It didn't work. She sighed, all cried out, and leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She would be strong. She could never be with him. She couldn't stay with him or else she'd become an accomplice in his crimes and if he came with her, he'd be quickly executed without a second thought for a trial. They could never be together without people all around them becoming hurt. Of course, they were completely oblivious to the most recent deaths of the people they loved as cause for them being together. "Promise me Seifer," she began hesitantly. "Promise me you will forget about me, and live a long life."

"Hey, baby." Seifer put on a façade of a smile and stroked her hair. "Don't you worry about me, I'm a survivor, remember?"

Her only response was a soft pained moan as she snuggled closer into his chest and breathed him in, clutching to the collar of his blank white T-shirt.

He looked up at the dingy water-rusted ceiling and sighed as well. He lifted his hand to tenderly caress her hair. _I won't say it… _his mind denied. _I WON'T! _His mind screamed. Then everything became a blur. It was all happening so fast… or slow. He couldn't tell the difference anymore and his senses became dulled. His one light in his long, dark tunnel was fading away. 

Somehow she was on the other side of the door. Somehow the door was now closed. 

Seifer could only stare at it, denying he'd ever met her, but that only made it worse. _GODAMMIT! NO! I WON'T SAY IT!_ His mind roared. His short shallow breaths were broken when his hoarse voice broke through his lips.

"Goodbye" he said to the front door. 

His bottom lip quivered. He couldn't blink. Some kind of liquid stung his eyes. Silent screams wailed through his head. His lungs felt like he was drowning. He closed his eyes now; his brows furrowing together in some kind of anguish as he uncontrollably fell to his knees, his blank stare remaining on the door. 

He shook his head now facing the floor, trying to deny everything. "No, no, no, no…" he softly chanted. "no, no, No, NO, NO! NO! NO!" He screamed clutching his throbbing head. He silently watched two drops of crystal liquid fall in slow motion from his eyes and soundlessly splash onto the cold wooden floor. He remained still as the flowing water fell from his eyes and finally he realized he was crying for the first time in his entire life.

""QUISTIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a man screamed, the miserable sound echoing throughout the dank halls of the Timber apartment building. 

But she didn't hear it. She was already gone.

Quistis walked. She only could concentrate on walking. She promised herself not to think about him, not to think of his broken heart, his ultimate loneliness, and his one sign of hope walking out the door. She swiped at the threatening tears now streaking her face with her sleeve as she finally couldn't walk any further. She collapsed against a random wall and cried into her hands. "Seifer…Seifer!!!" she softly chanted, as soft white snow flecked her feathery hair.

***

The loud train whistle blew and a swirl of steam could be seen arising from it, contrasting with the crisp, morning air. Her dark hair fell in her chocolate eyes, obstructing her view. She let out an exasperated sigh and brushed it back. Her eyes now were blood shot and tears of frustration and overwhelmed emotions were threatening to fall. No she had to be strong_. You must lead, Rinoa, its up to you now!_ She told herself as she stepped off the train. She shivered in the intense cold air of Timber. She stopped and waited, pulling her light blue, fur-collared coat more securely around her shoulders, watching as the sky began to brighten across the horizon.

Selphie solemnly stepped off the train, followed by a stern Irvine. She looked around, clutching her bright yellow jacket and bringing the hood up, wanting so badly to yawn, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The current state of things would make it unthinkable. Irvine slightly stretched and breathed in deep. His long tan duster was not doing that great a job of keeping him warm. They had traveled all night from Balamb to Timber, none of them getting any sleep at all.

"Lets get going," Rinoa sighed sadly as they began to blindly look for Squall, Quistis and Seifer.

***

Absolute silence rung loudly throughout the streets of Timber. He couldn't remember blinking the whole time. He shivered now uncontrollably, his teeth chattering. He didn't know how long he had stood there. Through clouded blue eyes, he watched the crimson substance stain the pure white snow. He saw the now empty shells of the once thriving and exuberant Rajin and the harsh but once breathing Fujin. Rajin's eyes remained opened, staring into the void for all eternity, straight in to the eyes of Squall Leonhart, his murderer. His blankly disturbing stare haunted Squall's very soul. Blood trickled from the bullet hole between his eyes and flowed down his forehead into the snow. Fujin lay on her side, so peacefully silent and still as if she were merely sound asleep. But what betrayed this wonderful thought in Squall's mind was the bullet wound spilling the dark liquid from beneath her hands once clutching her midsection. 

For hours he could only stare at them. And now, now he couldn't bear to know the truth of what his bloodstained hands had done. His boots made large, deep prints into the snow, but he ran. That's all he knew. He only ran. RUN!

***

Finally, able to control herself, she stood up on shaky, unsteady legs. She was drained and exhausted, not to mention freezing. At least she had the one thing she could take from her love: his long but welcomingly warm gray and tattered trench coat. It was much too large for her petite form, but she was just thankful she could take this one and only thing from her beloved. Quistis began to walk again.

Walk. 

Just walk.

One foot in front of the other. 

That's it, keep going. Go on. Don't stop.

If you stop now, you'll never make it.

Walk! Walk faster! WALK! Don't look back! Run!!!!

NO.

When she saw the train station she couldn't, just couldn't take another step away from him. 
__

I don't care… she thought. 

__

I don't freaking care anymore!

Not about anything but him! Seifer! "I love you."

She breathed and could hear her own breath in the silence of the sleeping streets of Timber. She stopped abruptly and slowly turned about and ran. Ran so hard and so fast, her lungs felt like bursting into flames, but she didn't care. She could only think of _him_.

***

As he continued to lay there on the cold floor, his tears now cold, salty stains upon his face, he stared at the ceiling, slowly blinking every now and then. How was he going to make it without her? He closed his weary eyes and tried to push her out of his thoughts, but couldn't, nor did he want to. He reminisced on the days when he was in Garden and mentally kicked himself for being such an ass to her, when he could have had time to be with her, when it was all still possible. His thoughts drifted back to reality and he sat up, and questioned himself: _where the hell where Fujin and Rajin? Hmmm, maybe they guessed what was going on and decided to give us some privacy? Well screw it. I'm not in the mood for them any way…_ he sighed and lay back on the floor, too broken to crawl all the way to his bed. He didn't deserve a nice warm bed that smelled of her sweet scent. His eyes fell closed and groggily reopened in a blink. He continued to blink this way until his eyes didn't open anymore.

He might have fallen asleep, he might have dreamed it, but he saw her face; he could see her small symmetrical nose in the middle, two almond shaped, cerulean eyes, with wisps of her gold hair falling over them. He saw her rosy cheeks and soft full carnation pink lips. His tranquility of sleep languidly lifted from him and he rubbed his eyes, still feeling thoroughly drained. He once again looked up and still he saw her. _Wake up stupid! This is reality! She's here! She's back!_ How long had she been standing there? She didn't even know. He sat up and rubbed his eyes once more to make sure he wasn't just going insane from losing her. 

He instantly was on his feet and stared at her in awe, barely breathing. Her eyes looked up at him hopefully. No words were spoken between them. No words were needed. Their utter joy rendered them speechless. 

Suddenly they spoke all at once as they threw themselves into each other's arms, lavishing each other with kisses and caresses. 

"I love you, Seifer! Oh God I couldn't bear it! I couldn't bear to leave you. I couldn't bare to never see you again!" Quistis cried into his chest, tears of joy streaking her face.

"Quistis! Oh Quistis, you're so stupid!" Seifer cried back, kissing her neck and her forehead and all over. "You can't be with me! I'm bad! I'll only hurt you! I-"

Quistis silenced his protests with a deep kiss on his lips. He kissed her back with full force. He pulled back, both of them finally calmed down a bit. "Quistis I love you." With that he wrapped his arms around her and he swore to God he'd never again let her go.

Somehow they ended up in his bed proceeding to continue what they had started the night before. This time they didn't hold back. Their love was so deep, one would think they could drown in it.

***

He leaned against a random building and shut his eyes tight, his gloved hands clenching in tight fists at his sides.

__

Fuck…

Fuck

Fuck!!!!

FUCK!!!!!!!

He cursed himself and angrily slammed his fist into the building he leaned on. A few pebbles of the concrete building crumbling off in the dent he made. 
    He hissed in pain as he clutched his gloved and now badly bruised hand. He angrily shut his eyes and softly banged his head against the unfortunate building. When his head began to throb in pain, he frustratedly slunk down against the cold unsympathetic building and sighed. 
    Suddenly soft footfalls broke the disturbing silence. Squall's eyes flew open in alarm. And then his eyes widened even more in the horror to see his angel here. Here where she can see him in all the horrible ugliness of his soul. No! He can't be seen by her! Nooooo! Rinoa go back! Go back before it's too late! 

***

    Rinoa could just barely make out a dark figure contrasting with the pure white of the snow. Could it be? She checked her watch. 6:39 AM. She turned around to see Selphie and Irvine still behind her. "Hey guys," she began. "I think that's Squall up there!" 
They began to run as fast as they could through the deepening snow towards the slim, black figure down the empty street.
    Squall shook his head in denial, but they were there running to him just the same. 
__ DAMMIT, SQUALL! 
    He breathed in deep and tried to clear his mind enough to confront them…and confess. What would happen? _Do the right thing Squall…_ he told himself. _Do the right thing…. _

*** 

Somewhere in the distance there was a scream… 
Screams… 
    Sirens… 
    Terror… 
All Squall's doing… 


	14. Chapter 14

The dingy room slightly brightened in the morning sunlight, giving their faces a soft angelic glow. For a long time they could only gaze into each other's eyes. Then, slowly, he bent his head towards hers and gingerly brushed his lips against her soft ones. The kiss grew bolder; he opened his mouth opened against hers and she followed suit, looping her arms around his neck. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. He carried her to his bed and kneeled before her, his aqua eyes never leaving hers. 

He tenderly began to unlace her boots and then carefully removed them as he kissed her knees, his lips traveling upward. Then he languidly extracted her stockings one by one as his hands traveled up her smooth legs. Then Quistis reached down and slipped her hands beneath his blank white shirt and brought it up over his shoulders, revealing his lithe, muscular arms, his broad shoulders and chest and strong, lean abdomen. Their gaze was never broken. 

He kissed her with deliberate lethargy. He took his time. He kissed all of her indulging in her sweet essence, savoring every moment he could with her. 

__

Quistis…

Her name was like honey upon his lips. He gazed down at her bare form within his own bare muscular arms. She was divine, a goddess in his eyes. He felt her long soft fingers run through his hair and he closed his eyes at the touch. She brushed his long blonde bangs from his eyes and gently smiled up at him. He bent his head down toward hers and commenced to kiss her again with a passion. 

"My sweet Quistis. I love you so much. I'll never let you go again. Never…" he breathed between kisses. 

"Seifer…There will never be a reason." She kissed him back and dug her nails into the flesh of his back, gasping as he entered her. It was beautiful. It was almost completely silent, but the feeling was extraordinary. Their quick, soft breaths filled the room. The only other sound was an almost inaudible moan from Quistis at the climax. 

***

His heart beat wildly with fear and apprehension. If only he could have taken it all back. If only he had known what he was doing. Did he know what he was doing? All he could remember was the shock after the shots were heard. He shook his head and squeezed his eyes tight as if to shut out the reality of it all. He nervously ran his gloved fingers through his long chocolate hair, trying to come up with the words. What could he possibly tell them that could justify his insane, psychotic episode? He breathed in deep and glanced down the street to see Irvine, Selphie and, of course, his Rinoa.

__

Here they come. Here she_ comes…_

…My love, my angel…

Now she'll finally know the monster that I really am…

__

You're a monster, Squall… 

You don't deserve the angel.

Rinoa…

***

Rinoa gasped airily, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. Her dark hair fluttered over her face against the sudden soft, but freezing zephyr. 

Selphie looked up, her emerald eyes widened in alarm at the sight of him. She subconsciously looped her arm around Irvine's. He too looked up and sucked in his breath, habitually touching the brim of his hat, looking anywhere else but at him.

About 30 feet ahead, she saw him. He remained seated upon the cracked, cement sidewalk, his back against the building; his head hung in his hands, completely still. A few tufts of fur from his fur-collared jacket shifted in the light breeze, light but frosty breeze. Several wayward strands of hair brushed his blank face. He blinked.

Rinoa breathed in deep. She tucked her short dark hair behind her ears out of nervous habit and began to walk towards him. The light clicks of her boots and the almost inaudible tinkle of her necklace resounded through the still empty streets. Slowly she crouched down in front of him. His head remained bent, his hair hanging over his face. Slowly, she lifted a hand and tried to brush back his long bangs.

Suddenly he looked up sharply, his blank eyes piercing her own. Rinoa was taken aback.

"Squall…?" she whispered nervously. 

He only stared blankly at her. 

"Squall?" she repeated louder. 

His only response was a blink. Selphie and Irvine fidgeted tensely behind her. 

"Is he, uh… ok?" Selphie softly asked Rinoa. Rinoa looked back at her, her hair lightly swirling about her face now. The slight, cold breeze now became a strong, frigid wind. 

"I don't know…" she meekly answered. She sighed. "Squall. Can you hear me?"

He blinked. His face remained placid. She bit her lip worriedly.

"Squall! Honey, answer me!" she cried softly. "God, what's the matter with you!?" Rinoa took his head in both her hands and forced him to face her. "ANSWER ME GODDAMN YOU!!!" she screamed, roughly shaking him by the shoulders. His head lulled back and loudly hit the building with a _thud_.

"Oh my god!" she breathed. She saw him grimace in pain. His brows furrowed and his eyes shut tightly as he hissed in pain. His hand lifted up to clutch the back of his throbbing head. Then he opened his eyes widely, gasping loudly. His scared deep blue eyes looked like that of a child. He sharply looked around seeming horrified. Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine all stared back at him in shock and confusion.

Finally he spoke: Where the hell am I!? And who the hell are all you people!?"

***

He gently smiled down at her sleeping form. He caressed her matted hair back from her face. She shifted slightly under the blanket they shared. He could only think of her beauty. It was she who brought light into his life. It was she alone who brought life upon him. It was she alone who had made him whole…

__

Shoot, son, I should probably write this crap down, Seifer mused leaning back against the pillow, his arm under his head. Quistis opened her eyes sluggishly and stretched slightly, realizing Seifer's arm around her. 

"Hi." She looked up at him.

"Hey." He responded.

"What time is it?"

"I dunno around seven thirty or so."

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh what does it matter? I'm with you."

"What does what matter, Quisty?"

"Time."

"Time?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh Quisty, time is all we have. I don't know what's gonna happen after this. I don't know what's gonna happen to you to me, to us. I don't know. All I know is here and now. And right now I have you in my arms and I won't let you go without a fight."

"Seifer, you know they're coming for me. You know they won't stop until you're dead. I won't let them touch you Seifer."

She looked up at him with utter determination. Seifer's looked at her intently and then suddenly bent his head down and kissed her. It was a promise kiss. They silently agreed that by the bonds of their love, they would fight to the death for each other. 

"I love you Quistis. No one can ever change that." 

"No one ever will." 


	15. Chapter 15

****

Possession 

His eyes sleepily opened and then quickly shut tight again at the florescent lights all around him. He groaned and mumbled curses under his breath as he slowly reopened his calm gray-blue eyes, as they slowly accustomed to the harsh bright light of the room. He scanned the room the fear and the confusion growing. It seemed a small room of all white. _A hospital perhaps?_ He was lying down on a small white bed, the cool sheets feeling good against his bare skin…_Bare skin!?_

Where the fuck are all my clothes!?

"Where the hell am I?" he grumbled as he lifted a hand to rub his eyes. 

He began to yawn drowsily when close by voices made him sharply turn. He listened intently, ready for battle should there be any. 

"What the hell happened out there?" a feminine voice demanded from another room.

"I don't know! We were walking around looking for a payphone to get the timber police to search for Seifer, Squall and Quistis, but that's when we saw him! " replied a squeaky feminine voice excitedly. _Who the hell are those people?_

Then another soft voice of a girl spoke. She seemed nervous and stressed: "Yeah…we saw him he was…I don't know…I guess you could say catatonic. I started to shake him, you know to get him to come to his senses, then he hit his head…. He hit his head against the wall he was sitting against…Oh Squall…" he heard a soft sob.

__

Squall…? Hmm that's a nice name…

I wonder why she's crying over him?

"Well the that explains the laceration on the back of his head." The first woman spoke calmly. Squall reached and gingerly touched the wound at the back of his head. He felt a bandage. _Am I this Squall they're talking about?_

"But uh…I can't be quite sure what caused this amnesia. It should be only temporary, by the way. " he heard her softly sigh. "Maybe it has to do with some kind of…um…possession."

"POSSESION?" he heard the two other females exclaim in unison. 

"Quite possibly, yes." The first woman continued. " Let's see, did he talk differently?"

"What do you mean, Dr. Kadawaki?" the squeaky voiced girl asked.

"Well, did he act totally out of character?"

"YEAH! He went totally insane!! He went to Timber to kill Seifer and his 'posse'!" she replied.

"…Yeah…" the other soft voiced girl agreed. 

"Bye the way, girls," the first woman cut in. " It was all over the news that Rajin and Fujin have been murdered…Two shots only. They were kill shots one in the head and the other in the stomach. Whoever shot them was a professional. Oh and Irvine's gun was found at the scene."

"Irvy!?" the squeaky girl piped. Squall slightly winced at the high pitched voice. 

"What does that have to do with anything?" the soft-spoken girl inquired.

"It could be nothing, it be everything, Rinoa." She replied. 

There was a long pause. 

"What of Quistis and Seifer?" Dr. Kadawaki's voice requested authoritatively. 

"Still unknown. Irvine and Zell are on it at the moment. "

"Ah yes. "

"What of Cid's body?"

Squall clutched his throbbing head and began to lay back down on the bed when a glass-breaking scream filled his ears. He shot up and out of the room ready for any kind of battle, even if it was just with his fists. 

Out of a medicine freezer lay a body yet to be covered. The squeaky voiced girl silently gawked at it as did the other soft voiced girl and Dr. Kadawaki. 

"Where the hell am I and what the hell is going on!?" Squall demanded, turning away from the body. 

Everybody in the room turned and looked at Squall, sadly seemingly unaware of his nudity. They gasped nervously at his bare form, but Kadawaki simply rolled her eyes. It's not like she's never seen anything like that before. 

"Woah Squall…" the squeaky voiced girl said. 

"Who?" Squall asked Squall. _Oh right that's me_… 

"Maybe you should, uhh…hehe…" Rinoa stole a glance below his waste, before looking away completely. 

Squall furrowed his eyebrows and glanced down, his face turning beet red. _Well this day just keeps getting better and better. _"Oh. Right. Where are my clothes now?"

***

"So.."

"So?"

"So are we running away together or what?"

"I guess so, babe." He looked around as they walked hand in hand down the afternoon streets of Timber. Up ahead as they walked was the Timber train station. A wave a guilt ran through him. He swallowed before he spoke. "Quistis? Are you sure? Are you sure you want to stay here with me? I mean you're giving up so much. Think about all your friends at Garden, your career…"

"Seifer I am willing to give all that up for you." She replied. "Now c'mon lets do some shopping." She tugged on his arm as he groaned. Then something caught his eye, causing him to freeze in his tracks. 

The newspaper. 

He quickly ran up to the machine and slipped some gill in the slot and turned the knob quickly, his heart pumping in his chest. _No! this can't be true!_ He immediately snatched a newspaper and stared horrified at the front page. 

"Seifer?" Quistis put a hand on his shoulder, to which he shrugged off. He squeezed his eyes shut and unknowingly dropped the newspaper. Quickly, she snatched it in her hands and saw what he saw. 

"Oh no…" she shook her head as she too dropped the newspaper to the ground as people's feet stomped over it. 

The front page had a picture of the scene of Rajin and Fujin's murder. She didn't even bother to read the article. She knew it was Garden's doing. She knew. _How could they!? What had they done? Wasn't it Seifer they wanted!? _She didn't know what was worse. If it was Seifer they killed or a part of him that she would never know they killed.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Revenge…"

***

Irvine and Zell walked on through the afternoon streets of Timber. 

"A heart attack?! What the hell?" Irvine exclaimed.

"I know, I know!" Zell replied. "Dude there they are!"

"Yeah?" Irvine turned to Zell's gaze. "What the? Are they holding hands?"

"Looks like it. What the hell is going on?"


End file.
